Badger Region brings home pair of gold medals at USA Volleyball All-Star Championships

Thursday, July 28th, 2022

The accolades keep rolling in for the Badger Region and its athletes, coaches and teams. After a successfully showing at nationals a few weeks ago, four Badger Region High Performance teams competed July 20-23 in Tulsa, Okla., for the USA All-Star Championships.

Throughout the week, the Badger Region teams brought the heat (in 110-degree weather mind you) and came home with two gold medals and a pair of four-place finishes.

Bringing home the gold were the Boys Youth (athletes born in 2005-2006) and the Girls Youth (athletes forn in 2006-2007) teams in the Youth National divisions. The Boys Select team finished fourth in the Boys National Select Division. The Girls Select team moved up a bracket to the Girls International Select division but finished fourth there.

“Having four top-four finishes is outstanding for our Region,” said Badger Region High Performance director Brian Sharkey. “It’s been a while since we brought home any gold medals and this many gold-bracket finishes in one year.”

Boys Youth (National Youth Division)

Match 1: Def. Oklahoma, 3-0
Match 2: Def. Great Lakes, 3-2
Match 3: Lost to Southern, 1-3
Match 4: Def. Iowa, 3-0
Match 5: Def. OVR, 3-2
Match 6: Def. Florida, 3-0
Match 7: Def. Arizona, 3-1
Gold Medal Match: Def. Southern, 3-2

All-Tournament Team: Ben Heise (MVP), Nathan Higgins and Vinny Coello

Unique note about the Boys Youth team: Five boys were in Tulsa prior to the USA All-Star Championships for the USA Volleyball National Team Development Program series. Those athletes who spent 11 days in Tulsa included Ben Heise, Vinny Coello, Ambrose Engling, Charlie Andorfer and Owen Otto.

 Girls Youth

Match 1: Def. Great Plains, 3-1
Match 2: Lots to North Texas, 0-3
Match 3: Def. Garden Empire, 3-2
Match 4: Def. Gulf Coast, 3-0
Match 5: Lost to Florida, 2-3
Match 6: Def. Ohio Valley, 3-0
Gold Medal Match: Def. Puget Sound, 3-0

All-Tournament Team: Andi Spies (MVP), Rebecca Ring and Alexis Gardner

Boys Select

Match 1: Def. Ohio Valley, 3-0
Match 2: Lost to Arizona, 1-3
Match 3: Lost to Florida, 0-3
Match 4: Def. Oklahoma, 3-0
Match 5: Def. Garden Empire, 3-0
Match 6: Def. Great Lakes, 3-1
Match 7: Lost to Southern, 1-3
Bronze Medal Match: Lost to Great Lakes, 0-3

Unique note about the Boys Select Team:  Two boys were in Tulsa prior to the USA All-Star Championships for the USA Volleyball National Team Development Program series. Those athletes who spent 11 days in Tulsa included Max Larcheid and Aiden Del Fava.

Girls Select

Note: The Badger Region Girls National Select had such a strong showing in pool play and won their crossover match, moving the up to the Girls International Select division (above what they had originally signed up for)

Match 1: Def. Garden Empire, 3-2
Match 2: Lost to Ohio Valley, 0-3
Match 3: Def. Oklahoma, 3-0
Match 4: Def. Iowa Red, 3-1
Match 5: Def. Iowa Black, 3-0
Match 6: Lost to Arizona, 1-3
Bronze Medal Match: Lost to Ohio Valley, 0-3

Badger Region officials

A handful of Badger Region officials were on site and were awarded the opportunity to work at the USA All-Star Championship by the Badger Region. Representing the Badger Region were Julie Voeck (lead official and trainer), Jim Arts (National official), Shane Hubred (Junior National official) and Kelly Lehman (Regional official). These four were among the 57 officials chosen by their Regions to officiate and score the event.

They were joined by former Badger Region board member and longtime official and coach Pati Rolf who we as on site coordinating officials for both the USA All-Star Championships and the Pan Am Cup that was taking place at the same location.

The USA All-Star Championships by the numbers

  • City: Tulsa, Oklahoma
  • Number of delegations: 19 (18 Regions & 1 Delegation from Canada)
  • Number of Teams: 70
  • Number of Courts: 14
  • Number of Matches: 253
  • Number of Divisions: 9 (3 boys & 6 girls)
  • Number of Awards: 27 (9 each 1st/2nd/3rd)
  • Number of Regions Reaching the Podium: 10

 

The Florida Region secured the Region Cup for the second year in a row thanks to two gold medals (6 points), two silver medals (four points) and one bronze medal (one point) at this year’s event. The rankings were as follows

  1. Florida – 11 points
  2. Arizona – 9 points
  3. North Texas – 8 points
  4. Badger, Great Lakes and Southern Regions – 6 points each
  5. Iowa – 4 points
  6. Puget Sound – 2 points
  7. Ohio Valley – 1 point
  8. Oklahoma – 1 point

The USA All-Star Championships head to Fort Lauderdale, Fla, from July 20-23, 2023.

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